Chaetodon lunula
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfishes)
Chaetodon
Chaetodon lunula
Description
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Characters
Body shape: short and / or deep. Description: Body orange-yellow, dorsal side dusky, ventral side diagonal brown stripes, eye bar black. Snout length 2.9-3.4 in HL. Body depth 1.4-1.7 in SL (Ref. 90102). Striking features: none.
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: East Africa to the Hawaiian, Marquesan, and Ducie islands, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe and Rapa islands. Southeast Atlantic: East London, South Africa (Ref. 5372).
Habitat Associations
Marine. reef-associated. depth range 0-170 m. Found in: coral reefs.
Biology
Nocturnal species that is usually in pairs or small groups in shallow reef flats of lagoon and seaward reefs to depths of over 30 m. Juvenile occurs among rocks of inner reef flats and in tide pools (Ref. 205). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Adult feeds mainly on nudibranchs, tubeworm tentacles, and other benthic invertebrates, also feeds on algae and coral polyps. Oviparous (Ref. 205). Forms pairs during breeding (Ref. 205).
Max length: 20.0 cm TL; max age: 9 years.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; mating system: monogamy; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Distinct pairing (Ref. 205). Monogamous mating is observed as both obligate and social (Ref. 52884).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2009-10-05. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Thresher, R.E. (1984) Reproduction in reef fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Neptune City, New Jersey. 399 p.
Myers, R.F. (1991) Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p.
Steene, R.C. (1978) Butterfly and angelfishes of the world. A.H. & A.W. Reed Pty Ltd., Australia. vol. 1. 144 p.
Heemstra, P.C. (1986) Chaetodontidae. p. 627-632. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Lieske, E. and R. Myers (1994) Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Haper Collins Publishers, 400 p.
Harmelin-Vivien, M.L. (1989) Implications of feeding specialization on the recruitment processes and community structure of butterflyfishes. Environ. Biol. Fishes 25(1-3):101-110.
Whiteman, E.A. and I.M. Côté (2004) Monogamy in marine fishes. Biol. Rev. 79:351-375.
Bacchet, P., T. Zysman and Y. Lefèvre (2006) Guide des poissons de Tahiti et ses îles. Tahiti (Polynésie Francaise): Éditions Au Vent des Îles. 608 p.
Allen, G.R. and M.V. Erdmann (2012) Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth, Australia: Universitiy of Hawai'i Press, Volumes I-III. Tropical Reef Research.
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